Teenage Wasteland
by Incubabe
Summary: *FINAL CHAPTER UPLOADED* After Cordelia tells him they can't be together, Connor leaves LA for a few days to come to terms with it and meets a new girl, Frankie who isn't all she seems... *COMPLETE*
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: Only Frankie is mine, the rest belongs to Mr. Whedon and the WB.

Chapter One

Connor's eyes snapped open at the noise; he turned over in his bed just in time to catch sight of Cordelia closing the door behind her. He groaned and buried his face in the pillow, still warm and smelling of her hair. He was getting tired of her little game but the thought of losing her to _him made him feel angry. It was the third morning in a row that she had walked out before he had woken up, anxious to get back to the hotel before anyone realised she was missing, before __he realised she was gone. He wasn't stupid, he knew that she didn't love him but that didn't make it any easier to handle her games. She had told him a million times that there was no way she could fall for him, it would hurt Angel too much and he could never find out. Connor was convinced she already had fallen for him but admitting that would mean too much loss and he knew Cordelia wasn't ready to lose Angel for good, not even for him._

He kicked the covers back from his semi-naked body and stretched out across the bed, not knowing what to do now. A huge part of him wanted to get up and run after her, take her to the hotel and announce their awful secret to the group but he didn't want to hurt her, he didn't really want to hurt Angel as tough as his bravado about his father was. He wished he had the willpower to refuse her, tell her to leave when she showed up out of the blue but he knew that he couldn't. It was time for them to talk about it; if she was going to continue their nightly liaisons then he wanted her to admit to him that she had feelings for him, admit that they were having a relationship, no matter how perverted a relationship it was. He knew that she never would but he had to give her the ultimatum, enough was enough. He sat up; he felt better having made the decision but wondered if he had the courage to go through with it. He jumped out of bed and wandered into the bathroom, it was the same ritual every morning. Scrub the smell of Cordelia from his body so that his father would be none the wiser to their affair, make sure he wore clean clothes so her perfume wasn't imprinted on his shirt, it was all one big game but it was definitely a game drawing to full time.

After showering and dressing and forcing himself to eat breakfast, he started out of the building and began to run towards the hotel. He disappeared up alleyways and over fences, testing his reflexes and speed skills along the way. It was his exercise of the day, a good way to keep him on his toes. He jumped down from the roof of the building opposite the Hyperion and darted out into the traffic, dodging the cars and lorries until he reached the wrought iron gates. Deciding against the front door, he walked around the side of the building and clambered up the wall and in through the kitchen window, he didn't really need to be there and he was only there to see Cordelia anyway.

He ran swiftly and silently up the staircase to the first floor and walked slowly along the corridor, aware that at any moment his father could walk out and catch him. Connor took quick glance over his shoulder before shooting up the corridor and into Cordelia's room without knocking.

"What are you doing in here?" asked Cordelia, she had just finished changing her clothes and did not look pleased to see him in her bedroom.

"I wanted to talk to you, we need to talk," he muttered, staring at his feet and hating the way she made him feel inadequate just by looking at him.

"What about?" she sighed impatiently, adjusting the sleeves of her shirt.

"I want to talk about us. Why won't you just admit that there's something going on between us?" said Connor, his confidence growing as he walked across the room and stroked her shoulder. She seemed to respond to his touch but quickly shook him off and walked away.

"Connor, there's nothing going on. We're just having fun, right? I mean, I have feelings for you but I've told you, I can't fall in love with you,"

"That's such crap. I want you to tell him what's been going on, I'm sick of lying and sneaking around after you. I feel like I'm not good enough for you, that's why you keep me hidden away and lie to everyone,"

"That's not true. You know I don't hide you away and the only reason I haven't told anyone is to protect Angel,"

"Fine, then it's over. Don't bother coming over tonight or any other night; I'm sick of this, I'm sick of being your plaything. I never thought you could be like this but I was obviously wrong," sighed Connor, the sadness evident in his voice. He didn't want to be saying these things but his own feelings and the feelings of his father were at risk.

"Connor, baby, I'm sorry. I didn't know I was hurting you this much, I thought you were having fun too. I mean, I knew you had feelings but I never thought… I'm sorry," she sighed, walking over to him and taking him into her arms. They stood in silence, both welcoming the other's embrace but knowing that it was over. There was nothing between them anymore and as heartbroken as Connor was, there was no way he could show her that. He lifted his head and pushed her away slightly; she bent her head and kissed him softly on the lips. He knew what it was, it was goodbye.

"What's going on?"

Connor pushed Cordelia away and turned to face his father, Angel was standing in the doorway with his eyes blazing and his glare fixed on Cordelia. She couldn't say anything; she couldn't get the words out. Connor looked at her and then back to his father, Angel's eyes were burning with anger and betrayal but his face defied his eyes, it looked sad and broken.

"Angel… I'm so sorry," she blurted out, Connor looked at her and sighed.

"Dad," he started. Angel flinched at the word, whenever Connor called him that it felt as though his heart was beating again but now it just felt like a knife. "I didn't want you to find out like this, I wanted to tell you properly,"

"Tell me what?"

"It was nothing," said Cordelia. "We just… after the rain of fire and a few times after that, it was nothing. We were just having fun,"

"Cordy, shut up," whispered Connor.

"How were you gonna do it?" she hissed.

"Both of you just shut up and get out," whispered Angel. Connor looked at him defiantly but the look on Angel's face told him that he wouldn't get a fight from his father; he was too broken by the news. Connor walked past him and out into the corridor followed by an apologetic Cordelia, Angel closed the door behind them and stayed behind in Cordelia's bedroom, his head and heart reeling with the news.

Cordelia was about to walk down the staircase to join the group but Connor grabbed her by the arm and stopped her, turning her towards him. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes but she was staying strong, she had to stay strong. There was no way she was losing Angel over a mistake.

"I know what we said but now that he knows, is there any way for us to make it?" asked Connor, Cordelia smiled at his naivety.

"No, Connor. It's over, I don't want you to end up hating me for not returning your feelings and I don't want to lose Angel. I think we should just end it now before it gets too much for both of us,"

"Fine," said Connor a little too coldly. Cordelia's eyes flashed with shock. "What did you expect? Did you want me to pine after you or something? I'm not gonna embarrass myself, will you tell Dad that I'm going away for a few days, I'll be back whenever,"

"Where are you going?"

"What do you care? Just tell Dad," spat Connor and leapt through one of the open windows leaving Cordelia standing in the corridor with the world falling down around her. He headed off towards his makeshift apartment, he was packing a few things and then he was out of L.A. for as long as he needed. It would give him a welcome break from fighting the forces of darkness and a welcome break from fighting the forces of Cordelia.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Cordelia stood outside her bedroom door with her head resting against the doorframe, Angel was making no noise inside at all. She wasn't really surprised; he had an uncanny way of making almost no sound whatsoever. She wondered whether she should just walk in and talk to him, it was her room after all, but a huge part of her knew that it was too early to say anything. He would just ignore her; still aching from the shock and hurt of the secret she had been so desperate to keep hidden from him. She rested her hand on the top of the brass door handle and took a deep breath, itching to press down and enter the room.

"Leave me alone, Cordelia," called Angel from the room. Cordelia sighed and went in anyway, closing the door behind her.

Angel was sitting on the bed with the curtains still drawn; Cordelia knew that if it hadn't been daylight he would have been standing in the window watching the people move about below. She walked over and sat down next to him, he visibly flinched away from her but she didn't move to touch him. She had no reason to, she just wanted to talk to him and leave. Make sure that things were going to be all right then go.

"I know you don't want to hear anything I have to say right now but you need to know that we didn't want to hurt you," she started, Angel didn't answer her but she knew he was listening, he had no choice. "We did it because we thought the world was ending, Angel. It was a one time thing but after that, he kept telling me how special I was and I just thought it would be fun,"

"Are you done telling me how much 'fun' you had with my son?"

"Look, it wasn't about that. I thought that we were both in it for a good time; it's been really shitty around here lately in case you hadn't noticed. We were ending it when you walked in, it's all over. You were never meant to find out; we never wanted to hurt you,"

"So you keep saying Cordelia, but you did. You and Connor hurt me, there's nothing else to say. We've got research to do so let's just leave it, okay?"

"Fine," she sighed, standing up. "Connor asked… well, told me to tell you that he's gone out of town for a few days. I think he wants to give us some breathing space or something,"

"Maybe he was the smart one," growled Angel and stalked past Cordelia and out into the corridor, disappearing down the staircase without giving her a chance to catch up.

Connor grabbed his battered rucksack and began shoving a few t-shirts into it followed by clean underwear and socks. Dumping the bag onto his bed, he ran into the bathroom to get his toothbrush and toothpaste. He was ready to go, he didn't know where exactly but it didn't matter, as long as he was out of the way. He didn't have much money but sneaking back into the hotel for some would be easy enough. Swinging his bag down onto his back, he slammed the door shut and ran down the dilapidated staircase and onto the street. After a quick detour and stop at the back of the hotel, Connor jumped on the first bus he saw and headed out of the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles. It was exhilarating to know that he was free, no obligations to battle evil, no arguments with Cordelia or Angel or Gunn, total freedom.

The bus was hot and stuffy and as it rattled along the back-roads across California, Connor was feeling stifled and getting bored. There was a stop at a small town up ahead and although it was in the middle of nowhere at the back of beyond, Connor just had to get off the bus. He shuffled up the main street with his rucksack on his back looking out for old buildings he could sleep in for a few nights. The town seemed deserted, all the shops were closed and there were no people around that Connor could see, only a few stray dogs digging into the bin-bags that had been left out on the street corners, full to bursting.

"Hey!" said a female voice from behind him. "You're new," Connor turned to face her. She was about the same age as him, tall and slim with purple hair tied back into a red bandana. She wiped her grease stained hand on her equally dirty jeans and held it out to Connor; he walked over to her and shook it warmly.

"Where is everybody?"

"Sleeping, it's siesta time. Most of the people who live here are Spanish so… siesta! I'm Frankie by the way,"

"Connor. So, I won't be able to get any food for a while,"

"Shops open up in about an hour or so. You can come to the garage if you want, I think I got something in the fridge," she grinned, her eyes shining in the mid-day sun. Connor nodded and followed her into the small garage she had run out of to greet him. Frankie disappeared to make them some sandwiches while Connor sat at her office desk, looking over all the paperwork that spread out across it. It reminded him of Angel's desk, full of papers and books that never seemed to budge. Frankie wandered over and handed him a pastrami sandwich on a paper plate, he gratefully accepted.

"How come you're working through siesta?" he asked through a mouthful of bread.

"Gives me a chance to catch up, I'm the only garage in town,"

"That's a lot of business,"

"Yeah, it keeps me busy. So, what brings you to Yawnsville USA?"

"Needed a break from L.A. This place looked okay from the bus window,"

"L.A., huh? Well, I hope us poor country folk don't disappoint you too bad,"

"Never," laughed Connor, Frankie joined in. It had been a while since she had seen a new face, it was a welcome change.

"If you're planning on staying at a hotel, I'd give it a miss," she smiled. "I think the term 'fleabag motel' was invented here,"

"I was actually gonna crash somewhere out of the way," admitted Connor with an embarrassed smile, Frankie nodded in agreement.

"Me and a few guys are holed up in an old warehouse, you could stay with us if you like," she offered. Connor nodded in acknowledgement but didn't reply; he didn't exactly mix well with others but he didn't want to offend the only person he had met so far. "Don't worry about it; I'm sure you'll sort something out,"

"Ok. So, what… I mean… actually, forget it,"

"What? I don't bite, Connor, you can tell me,"

"I've never really been out before, like partying or whatever. I was wondering if there was anything to do round here," he mumbled, looking at his feet and scuffing them across the dusty floor.

"Hey, don't worry about it. My folks used to keep me on a tight leash too, 'til I moved out here anyway. A couple of us meet up after work if you wanna come with us,"

"Yeah, that'd be nice. If you don't mind,"

"It's settled then, I'm sure I can find something to keep you busy in the meantime," she grinned, tossing Connor a wrench.

"So, where is he?" asked Fred, Angel ignored the question and stalked into his office, slamming the door behind him.

"He's gone out of town for a few days," explained Cordelia.

"Nice. He gets a holiday and we have to work our asses off?" said Gunn angrily.

"It's not like that; he had to get away for a while,"

"That's fine but Angel needs to rejoin the group," said Wesley. "I know it must've been hard to let Connor go but still…"

"He'll be fine, just give him time,"

"Guys, this is Connor, he's from L.A." announced Frankie as they walked into the open warehouse. Connor surveyed the huge room, clothes and blankets were scattered about the floor making it look like one giant bed. Two guys and a girl lifted their heads from their various magazines and newspapers to greet them. "Connor, this is Jay, Tim and Allie,"

"Hi," said Connor awkwardly. Meeting new people was still hard for him, he hadn't even been back in the real world for a year yet and he had only really met the people Angel knew, he wouldn't exactly call them friends. Allie stood up and walked over to them, she gave Frankie a quick hug before turning to Connor.

"Well, aren't you just the cutest thing?" she grinned, Connor smiled at her brazen confidence. She looked very similar to Frankie, they had the same build and the same features; Connor assumed they were sisters.

"Ignore her, man. She's always after someone new, fresh blood and all that," laughed Jay. Connor laughed along with him but he wasn't entirely sure if he understood the insinuation, Allie laughed too but her bright green eyes were fixed on Connor's.

"So, what's the plan for tonight? I think we should have a bit of a party, welcome Connor to the neighbourhood and all that," said Frankie, jumping up onto one of the metal workbenches that were attached to the walls.

"I'm up for that, we can get the gang over and have a blow-out," grinned Allie; she reached out and stroked Connor's shoulder. "You up for a party?"

"Sure," he shrugged.

"Excellent," said Tim, jumping up from the tattered sofa. "I'll go get some supplies; I think we're out,"

"I'll come with, need the air," laughed Jay and he and Tim ran out of the warehouse leaving Connor alone with the sisters. He didn't really know what to say, he wasn't used to talking about himself and he certainly hadn't met many people his own age. Both girls were sitting up on the metal workbench and looking down at him, he found it disconcerting but it wasn't the first time he had received female attention. His mind flew back to Cordelia without warning and he was caught off guard by the feelings that suddenly filled his head and heart. He pushed a hand through his floppy hair and sighed, attempting to expel her from his thoughts; he looked up at the girls and smiled.

"So, what do you do Allie?" he asked, wondering if he sounded completely stupid or if they were staring at him in wonder because he was from the big scary city.

"Nothing much, mostly lounge around. I'm supposed to be working at the market but I never get up in time," she giggled, Frankie smiled. "What about you? Do you have a job in L.A.?"

"No, don't really need one. My Dad's got a lot of money but I don't know where it came from,"

"That's always the way with those L.A. types. Don't ask is all I can say, you'll never like the answer," said Frankie. "You looking forward to the party?"

"Yeah, can't wait,"

"Me neither," grinned Allie, playfully kicking at Frankie's ankle with her own. Connor smiled back, not quite understanding what was so funny but glad to be well away from the death-defying action of Angel Investigations.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

"Cordelia, do you think that you could actually read that book instead of staring at Angel's office door? We really do need you to help out," sighed Wesley, slamming a large volume down onto the front desk. Cordelia looked up at him and shook her head, she hadn't realised she had been so obvious in her concern for Angel. He hadn't left the office since that morning and it was swiftly heading into the hours of darkness, time for the things that go bump in the night to go out and wreak havoc.

"Sorry Wes, I'm a bit out of it today. So, do we have anything on this Beast thing? Any leads?" she asked, getting up from her lounging position on the circular sofa and joining Wesley, Fred and Gunn at reception.

"Nothing, I don't know why we're looking. We all know that this thing is way too powerful to have anything written about it just lying around in here," groaned Fred, Gunn reached across to rub her tense shoulders but she shrugged him away and continued to flick through the massive tome in front of her.

"I'm heading out," said Angel. Everyone turned to face him; they hadn't even heard the door open.

"Want company?" asked Gunn, aching to get away from the stuffy books and into some action. Angel shook his head and swept out of the room in silence, his black coat billowing out behind him as if he were the villain in a pantomime. "Fine, someone's testy tonight,"

"Just leave it, Gunn," snapped Cordelia and ran up to her room. She couldn't stand it down there, she felt like everyone was looking at her and judging her even though there was no way they could know what had been going on. She just wanted to know that Angel didn't hate her but she knew that she'd have to wait a little longer to be sure of that.

Jay and Tim had returned from gathering supplies with a plethora of equally scruffy and unwashed teenagers. Connor had been introduced to everyone with a smile and a handshake but he still felt uncomfortable, something was sticking with him. It wasn't that he wanted to be back in L.A. with Cordelia but there was something not quite right about the situation he had stumbled into. Throughout the 'party', he stayed at the back of the room with a beer in hand, watching everyone dance and talk and laugh as they moved about, mingling with everyone they knew. He wasn't alone with his thoughts for long as both Allie and Frankie joined him and soon, they were plying him with more alcohol and he was joining in the laughter with everyone else.

After a few bottles, he realised that he had never considered the effect alcohol would have on him before. It was a strange feeling, he could sense it coursing through his body and changing him. He felt a lot more comfortable and more at ease with the people around him, he marvelled at how easy he found it to fit in with these people. They all talked about music and movies as if it was their life and he stood by and listened, joining in when he remembered something Fred or Cordelia had mentioned of a band or an actor.

As the night passed by, Connor knew that he must be quite drunk as his eyes seemed to have glazed over and he found himself laughing at things that were not particularly funny. He collapsed onto the battered old sofa with Allie, Frankie, Tim and Jay as everyone poured out of the warehouse, thanking the guys for a "kick ass party" and saying goodbye to their new best friend, Connor. He sat back and smiled, he didn't think he had ever felt this good before, not even with Cordelia. He felt completely unbound, he was enjoying his first night out with people his own age, people who had no clue that the world was made up of vampires and demons and good and evil and it felt amazing.

"Hey Connor, you have a good time tonight?" asked Allie, her hand resting casually on his leg.

"Yeah, it was great," he grinned. Allie shot a quick glance at the rest of the gang and they all stood up and walked away without a word. The three of them seemed to disappear into the shadows at the back of the room but Connor heard the creak of a door and reasoned that they had run out to catch up with the people who had already left. "Where'd they run off to?"

"Probably wanted to catch up with the others, Frankie likes to party big style. Even if she's got work in the morning,"

"Why do you live here if you're all working? Wouldn't it be easier to live in a real house or something?" asked Connor, looking at the state the warehouse had been left in by the now absent partiers.

"This place is free and we like it here, feels special or something. Why don't we talk about you, Mr Mysterious?" smiled Allie.

"Nothing to talk about,"

"I don't think that's true. I'm a little psychic y'know," she smiled; Connor looked at her in disbelief. "Mock all you want; I know you're in pain about some lady,"

"I don't wanna talk about it," muttered Connor, his hackles were raised at the mere thought of Cordelia. He didn't want thoughts of her overshadowing the amazing night he was having.

"Fair enough but I know something that can take your mind off her," laughed Allie handing Connor another bottle of beer. Connor smiled and accepted it, twisting the cap off and draining half the bottle, Allie took it back from him and drank some herself before placing it on the floor and twisting to face Connor. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was, maybe not as pretty as Frankie but there was definitely something alluring about her. Connor thought it could have been her long, soft blonde hair but he knew it was more to do with her eyes, those sparkling bright green eyes.

"Are you and Frankie sisters?" he asked, swallowing hard.

"Yeah, we are. Is it that obvious?"

"You look really alike, you've both got the same beautiful eyes," he slurred, smiling as he stroked her cheek just below her eye.

"You've got the amazing eyes; I don't think I've ever seen eyes so blue. It's unbelievable," smiled Allie. She closed her eyes and leaned forward, a million thoughts of Cordelia streamed through Connor's mind but he knew that he had to start getting over her. They never had anything to begin with so he should just get on with his won life. He pushed his hand up through Allie's hair and gently brushed her lips with his own. It was all the invitation she needed, Allie kissed him back hard and pushed him down onto the sofa. Connor was somewhere between shocked and excited when Allie climbed on top of him and began pulling at his clothes.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, Allie let out a quiet laugh.

"Shut up and kiss me, Connor,"

Angel stormed in through the double doors, it was way past midnight and everyone had already gone to bed. He didn't blame them; they had all been up all day and night researching the seemingly impossible Beast. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bag of blood from the fridge, he didn't even bother to heat it in the microwave, he ripped it open and gulped it down. He was exhausted and needed refreshment, throwing the bag to one side he spun around as he heard a noise. Standing in the doorway was Cordelia, she had changed into her pyjamas but she had clearly not been asleep. Angel grabbed another bag from the fridge and sat down at the table, Cordelia sat opposite him. They sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity as Cordelia watched Angel unashamedly drink his blood and toss the bag aside again.

"You've got a little… on your lip," she smiled; Angel wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and raised his chin as if to show her. She nodded her approval and the room was once more plunged into silence.

"I don't hate you, Cordy," whispered Angel. Cordelia thought her heart would explode at those words but she managed to remain calm and let Angel finish what he had obviously been wanting to say all day. "I know that you must have been scared when it started to rain fire so I don't blame you. I don't really understand why it carried on after that night but it doesn't matter. Connor is my son and I love him, you are my best friend and I love you too. It doesn't matter what's happened in the past, we need to start looking towards the future before the Beast takes that away from us too,"

"Angel," smiled Cordelia, reaching out across the table and taking his hand. "I just want you to know that I never meant to hurt you or Connor. There's so much between you and me, I just never wanted anything like this to happen. I'm so sorry,"

"There's nothing to apologise for. Let's just forget it and move on, and I'll be telling Connor the same thing when he gets back here,"

"I think he's really upset. Not just about me but about you too,"

"I'm fine, I just need him to know that now," said Angel before standing up and walking out of the room leaving Cordelia alone with the knowledge that everything was going to be all right. All they needed now was for Connor to come back; she hoped that he was planning on it. She knew how pig-headed he could be when it came down to Angel; she wanted him to know that everything was okay. It was all back to the way it should be.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four 

Connor blearily opened his eyes and groaned quietly at the thought of waking up. Even during his eighteen-year stint in hell itself, he was certain his mouth had never been so dry; he doubted he had ever been this dehydrated before. It didn't take him long to realise that he was alone; Allie must have slipped away from his side while he was sleeping. He grinned widely at the thought of the night before, he couldn't recall much of their earlier part of the evening but the memory of Allie was fresh in his mind. She had been completely different to Cordelia in every way, and despite having no feelings for her; it had somehow been more enjoyable. He lay back in silence, pulling the blanket closer to his naked body and allowing the wealth of new emotions to wash over him. He could hear whispering at the back of the room, with his abnormal hearing skills it was easy to make out Allie and Frankie's voices as well as what they were saying. Connor closed his eyes and lay back, listening.

"It was amazing, Frankie. He's so sweet and so naïve and innocent, I never thought it could be like that,"

"Oh God Allie, not again. How many times do I have to remind you not to get attached to these random guys?"

"I know, but I really like this one and I'm getting tired of waiting,"

"I hope you're kidding. You know the way this works; I'm getting sick of your damn humanity getting in the way of our mission. The time is right for Machor's return but it's all up to you,"

"I just don't understand why you always do what you do,"

"It's who I am, Allie. You keep your part of the prophecy and I'll keep mine. You better get back to him before he wakes up, oh and Allie… don't screw this up,"

Connor turned over and pretended to be asleep, he had never heard of Machor but he understood perfectly that the sisters were intent on raising him. He just didn't understand what his part was in their 'mission'. He felt Allie climb onto the sofa next to him and drape her arm over his shoulder, resting her hand on his chest.

"You awake?" she whispered in his ear, Connor yawned and turned to face her, hoping that she couldn't tell he'd been awake for a while already. "Well, hello there Mr. Man,"

"Morning missy," he grinned back, her smile seemed forced but her bright eyes sparkled even though it was relatively dark. Connor could hear Frankie moving about angrily but ignored her; if he was going to get information from either of them it would be Allie. Frankie had mentioned her 'humanity' and he knew that was the angle he had to play. "Thank you for last night, Allie. I haven't had that much fun in a long time; it was my first real party too,"

"No way! How old are you?"

"Eighteen,"

"Wow, really? I thought you were older for some reason. Look, Connor, Frankie's in a weird mood this morning so promise me you'll stay out of her way," said Allie, Connor looked at her with a smirk but she suddenly became very serious. "I mean it; you should just stay away from her when she's like this,"

"Allie, what's wrong?" he asked, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, Allie looked away. "What did she do to upset you?"

"Nothing," faltered Allie. Connor smiled at her hesitation, cracking Allie was going to be easy. He drew her into his arms and kissed her neck, she responded hungrily and soon they were kissing passionately again.

Wesley was the first one to wake up again and after a cup of strong, sweet tea he was ready to start reading through the pile of ancient texts Lorne had somehow procured from a Ranash demon. He was just settling down to the first volume when the telephone began to ring, he sighed and picked it up.

"Angel Investigations,"

"Hey Wes, it's me," said Connor, Wesley was glad to hear a friendly voice and not the whine of another terrified customer.

"Connor, do you want Angel?"

"No, I need your help actually. Have you heard of Machor?"

"Machor? He's a demon of balance, he's never been found in corporeal form so he's not generally considered to be dangerous. Why?"

"What else do you know about him? How is he raised?" asked Connor, his voice rushed. Wesley could tell that he wanted the information and then he was going, this wasn't a casual call.

"Okay, he has two daughters who represent Birth and Death, they're supposedly quite dangerous. To raise Machor, one of the daughters must conceive a child with a warrior who is then slain by the other, Machor is then given birth to after a gestation period of only a month," reported Wesley.

"Okay, so if the daughters are dead then no Machor, right?"

"The legend claims that the sisters are inextricably linked, if even one of them dies then the prophecy is void and Machor cannot rise,"

"That's great, Wes. See you later," said Connor and left Wesley to say goodbye to a dial tone. He replaced the receiver and marvelled at Connor's bizarre information request, he smiled to himself as he realised that Connor was no normal eighteen year old. Bizarre was always going to follow him no matter what. Wesley's problem now was whether to tell Angel that his son was more than likely caught up in the raising of an ancient demon or just leave it and assume that Connor could take care of himself. Angel certainly had enough to worry about without his son being in danger.

Connor stood in the phone-box with his hand over the replaced receiver and his mind racing with all the different courses of action he could take. After talking to Wesley, it was quite clear that Frankie would attempt to kill him now that he had slept with Allie. The only other question was if Connor was enough of a warrior to bring about his rising. He turned to leave the phone-box and came face to face with Allie, he sighed as he realised she must have followed him when he thought he had left her sleeping.

"Hey Allie," he smiled, hoping that she hadn't heard enough of his conversation to realise he knew everything. "I thought you were asleep, I just wanted to call my father,"

"Connor," said Allie, her voice grave and ominous. "I heard you; you weren't talking to your father. You know about me and Frankie, don't you?"

"What? I don't know what you mean?" Connor winced as he said the words; one thing he hadn't quite mastered yet was lying. Allie sighed and walked towards him, placing her hand on his arm.

"I'm not pregnant. The prophecy says I would feel it right away but I can't feel anything," she said, Connor looked at her intently, wondering what was coming next. "Look, I'm not carrying Machor so I'm not a danger. If we kill Frankie then it's all over and I don't have to go through this anymore,"

"What?" said Connor, reeling with shock at the situation and the conversation he was having.

"Connor, please just listen to me. You obviously know that demons are real and you don't care so just believe me. Frankie _will_ kill you, that's her job but if I'm not carrying Machor and she dies then I can't conceive him. We're in this together; if one of us dies then the other is powerless,"

"Allie, it sounds nice in theory but how the hell do I know that you're not pregnant? You could just be hiding it from me and you just want Frankie out of the way so you get all the power when Daddy dearest comes back," asked Connor, pushing her away from him, Allie's eyes had filled with tears and she was obviously fighting back the urge to cry.

"I'm not lying. I hate Frankie; I never wanted to do this. I mean, why should we bring him back? He hasn't lived in a millennia but she's obsessed with raising him. I don't want to be a vessel for evil, Connor, I want her dead so I can have a normal life," she sniffed; Connor looked at her with suspicion. "Look, I'll kill her myself if you promise to spare me,"

"We need a doctor," said Connor, Allie frowned with confusion. "You're having a pregnancy test now. I know that it only takes a month before Machor is born so the test would be positive now, right?"

"I guess so, I mean, as much as I understand it the whole pregnancy is condensed into a month so if I was pregnant, it would show up on a test. We can buy one of those at the chemist," she smiled; Connor nodded and pushed Allie into the direction of the shops. He followed her closely, not really sure why he believed her when she told him she wanted Frankie dead and the hell she had been living in over. He understood what it was like to be born into something; he had never been given a choice either. Raised in Quor-Toth, which might as well have been Hell itself; battling demons from an early age, the bastard son of two vampires, what other life could he have ever had? Maybe that's why he believed her, because if he could give the daughter of a demon a normal life then maybe one day, the son of a demon could have one too.


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five 

Wesley sat behind the counter, attempting to focus on the task at hand but his mind kept wandering to the telephone call he'd received earlier. He glanced over at Cordelia and Angel who were sitting together on the sofa, they both looked tired but both were trying to research. He knew that once Angel was aware of the possibility that Connor was in trouble, all attempts to find the Beast would cease until Connor was safe but Wesley didn't know if he could lie to Angel; especially about his son. He had only just won back their trust and friendship and taking Angel's son away again, by whatever means, would be unforgivable.

"Angel, I need to talk to you," he announced, his voice sounding a little louder than normal, maybe it was nerves or the acoustics of the otherwise silent hotel reception.

"Have you found something?" asked Angel, dropping the book he was reading onto the sofa and walking across to the counter to join Wesley.

"Not exactly, I meant to tell you earlier but Connor called this morning," said Wesley, Angel smiled. He had been worried about him and the fact that he had called gave him a little peace of mind. "He was asking about Machor, one of the demons of balance,"

"Machor? Why would he be asking about that?" asked Cordelia, dropping her own book and moving closer to the conversation.

"There's no way Machor's around, we'd know about it. He must've met up with the sisters," said Angel, looking at Wesley for confirmation.

"He seemed to know what he was doing, Angel," said Wesley. "He got the information he needed and he went. I think he can handle himself if he has come up against the twins,"

"Only Connor could go out of town and still run into trouble," sighed Cordelia.

"Machor isn't the threat right now but the daughters… I don't know, did he say where he was?" asked Angel, pacing the room anxiously. Wesley shook his head. "I wish he'd taken that damn cell-phone," Angel kicked a chair across the room; Cordelia flinched at the noise it made.

"He can take care of himself, Angel," said Wesley. Angel stopped pacing and returned to the counter, leaning against it and sighing loudly. Cordelia placed a comforting hand on his arm and smiled.

"He's strong and smart and he can do this alone," she soothed.

"I know," he said. "I just wish he was home, this is where he belongs no matter what's happened,"

"I don't think there's any need to worry, he'll be home soon enough and you've taught him a lot," smiled Wesley.

"Yeah, I just hope it was enough,"

"It's negative," grinned Allie as she skipped out of the public bathroom, waving a plastic test stick. She held it up for Connor to see the large red minus sign before tossing it into the rubbish bin.

"Good, that's one thing out of the way," nodded Connor. "Where's Frankie?"

"Probably at the garage but I think I should come with you. Frankie won't hurt me and that means I can protect you," smiled Allie.

"Fine," growled Connor, his voice low and menacing. He began walking in the direction of the garage, Allie following a few steps behind. He still wasn't sure how he was supposed to do it, especially with no weapons to his name and a lingering feeling of guilt that Frankie was only a girl. He had to focus on the situation, it was survival of the fittest, him or her and there was no way he was getting himself killed on his first time out of L.A.

The garage doors were open and the morning sun was glinting off the cars parked outside, waiting to be serviced. Connor could just see Frankie tinkering around inside, she was wearing her work uniform from the day before and her hair was tied back in her red bandana again. Allie looked nervous but Connor ignored her, he wished she hadn't come with him even though he knew that nothing would happen to her. He didn't have to worry about Allie; he just had to worry about himself. Connor and Allie walked through the open double doors and stood there, waiting for Frankie to come out of the office.

"Hey you two, what you doing here? I thought you'd be cosied up on the couch all day," she grinned, waving a spanner in one hand. Allie stepped forward before Connor could stop her.

"Frankie, I'm not pregnant. We failed again," she announced loudly, Frankie shot her a look of absolute rage.

"What are you talking about, Allie?" she said, her voice low and her eyes fixed on Connor.

"Just give it up," said Allie, reaching out for the wrench that was sitting on the metal workbench. "It's over,"

Allie lifted the wrench and hit Frankie across the face with it, Frankie fell to the floor clutching her jaw, her eyes watering with the pain; Allie stepped backwards quickly to allow Connor to move in. Frankie sprung up and lunged for Connor, using the spanner as a weapon but Connor's inherited vampiric reflexes swung into action and he dodged her attacks. Allie crawled into the office at the side of the room and watched from the doorway as Connor and Frankie punched and kicked each other; she had never seen anyone fight back against her in the way that Connor did. She gasped as Frankie sent him flying into the wall with a right hook but Connor just got back up and flew at her; he had obviously studied the martial arts as his kicking technique was flawless in comparison to Frankie's. He blocked a flurry of her punches and grabbed her by her t-shirt, throwing her against the wall. She lay still for a moment and Allie thought it was over but she jumped back up and ran towards Connor, kicking him in the stomach and sending him into the desk, hearing him grunt with pain as his back connected with the metal.

She ran towards again but he spun behind her and landed a high kick to her chest, sending her flying into the car she had been working on. She stood up and shook herself down, pulling the bandana from her hair and running toward Connor, landing a flying kick at his torso. Connor grunted with the pain to his ribs and he fell backwards slightly but didn't lose his footing, Frankie took his surprise as the perfect opportunity and ran to her workbench, pulling out a silver dagger from her drawer. Connor saw the metal glint in the sunlight pouring through the windows and shook off his pain, he had to focus on the fight. Connor and Frankie were squaring up to each other, Frankie relishing the feeling of the knife in her hand and the knowledge that her time was nearly here. She would vanquish the warrior and another would come, bringing her father back to her, it was what she was born for.

"We don't have to do this, Frankie," shouted Allie from the corner. "It doesn't have to be like this,"

"Shut up, Allie," shouted Frankie, angry at the interruption and the distraction from her fight. "You were never cut out for this. Just say goodbye,"

Frankie lunged at Connor with the dagger but Connor grabbed her wrist, twisted Frankie's body around his own and plunged the dagger into her stomach and pushed it upwards. She looked up at him, her eyes wide with shock and fear, she coughed suddenly and a stream of blood poured from the side of her mouth. Connor dropped her limp body to the floor and sighed with the exertion, his hand instinctively moved to cradle his side. He could feel the bruises developing on his body, especially his back and he could feel tiny cuts on his face but nothing could compare to the searing pain of his ribs; he was sure they had been cracked by Frankie's kick.

Connor sat down on the cold hard floor and leaned back against the wall, looking at the teenage girl he had just stabbed. She was the same age and the guilt hurt but he knew he had done the right thing; she was the daughter of a demon and had been hell-bent on raising him. Age was the only thing they had in common. Frankie lay on her back, coughing up blood and wheezing as she tried to draw breath, Connor could hear Allie moving from inside the office, he watched as she walked out and knelt down beside her sister. She placed her hand against Frankie's cheek and began to cry, she kissed the top of Frankie's head and began to talk to her in what Connor assumed was their demon language. With a final sigh, Frankie let out her final breath and died. Allie sat for a while, stroking Frankie's face and allowing her tears to fall freely until Connor managed to stand up and take her by the hand, leading her away from her sister and a life of demons and out into the sun.


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

It had been two days since Connor's telephone call and Angel hadn't slept since Wesley had told him about it. He couldn't keep still long enough to help with the research and he wasn't up to his usual level when he went out at night with Gunn and Wesley. He couldn't concentrate on anything because he didn't know if his son was safe, he didn't know where he was or what he was doing or who he was with. He would have preferred to know if he was dead or if he was never coming back but to know absolutely nothing was torture; the worst torture he had ever endured and that was saying something.

"Will you please drink something?" asked Cordelia, handing Angel a mug of microwaved pig's blood. Angel took the mug and placed it down on the kitchen table in front of him; Cordelia sat down opposite him and reached across the table, taking his hand. "He's fine, Angel. Stop worrying about him,"

"Easier said than done, Cordy,"

"I know," she laughed. "I thought if I said it again then it might actually work,"

"I just wish he'd call or something, just so I know that he's okay. Right now, I couldn't care less if he was staying away for another month or whatever; I just want to know that he's alive,"

"We all do. Will you come join the gang? They're getting worried about you," asked Cordelia, standing up and offering Angel her hand. He sighed and accepted it, bringing his mug with him. Cordelia and Angel walked out from the kitchen into the reception where Gunn, Fred, Wesley and Lorne were all sitting around chatting and laughing.

"I thought we were supposed to be researching the Apocalypse, how is that funny?" smiled Angel, everyone turned around to face him.

"We thought we'd have a day off," grinned Fred.

"Yeah, all that death and disaster; it's enough to turn a guy green," smiled Lorne, Fred laughed at his bad joke while the others smiled. "But seriously Cream Puff, we've been busy with the Beast for weeks now and we haven't talked to each other in so long. We just thought it would be nice,"

"I suppose the world can survive for one day without us," shrugged Angel, draining his mug and joining the gang. Cordelia sat on the coffee table next to Lorne while Angel joined Wesley on the couch. They talked and laughed the way they used to before the sky turned black and the world became nothing but demons and danger but Angel couldn't get into it as much as everyone else. He was still worried about Connor, he couldn't laugh and joke while his son was out there alone.

"We should get back to work," said Wesley. "We've been yapping for quite a while,"

"I suppose so," sighed Fred, standing up and grabbing another huge tome from the pile of books on the counter.

Everyone was just standing and beginning to move around the room to get on with their individual tasks when the double doors of the hotel swung open and Connor walked in with his bag on his back and a pale, blonde girl on his arm. The entire room stopped what they were doing and looked up in shock at Connor and his friend, Wesley sighed with relief at the sight of him while Angel and Cordelia both stepped forward into the centre of the room. Fred and Gunn huddled closer together; both smiling at Connor's return but it was Lorne who was the first to step forward.

"Well, Sea Breezes for everyone," he grinned, looking up at Connor. "It's good to have you back, bunny,"

"Thanks," said Connor quietly, he walked down the steps towards his father, ignoring Cordelia for the time being. There were more important things that needed to be said and none of them were for her.

"Connor," said Angel, Connor looked up at him. "It's good to see you, son,"

"You too, Dad," smiled Connor and allowed Angel to hug him, everyone was shocked at the lack of struggle in their embrace. Angel looked embarrassed when he finally let him go but Connor just straightened his clothes out and looked over at Cordelia quickly before moving back to his father.

"Are you going to introduce your friend or are you just gonna leave her standing there?" asked Angel, Connor smiled and turned around to face Allie. He gestured her to join him with his hand and eventually, she walked down the stairs and stood in front of Angel.

"Dad, this is Allie. She wants to help us out," said Connor, placing a hand casually around her hips. Allie shook Angel's hand and smiled shyly before looking around the room. "She needs some basic fight training but she could be useful round here,"

"I'd be willing to learn anything. When Connor told me about you guys, I just knew that I'd been wasting away in the back waters. I really want to help out," she smiled. Angel nodded in agreement as Wesley moved forward to meet Allie; there was something about her that was familiar.

"I'm Wesley Wyndham-Price, pleased to meet you," he said, holding his hand out. She took it and shook it warmly, smiling up at him. Wesley had almost passed off his feeling as déjà vu when he looked into her eyes; her bright shining deep green eyes. "You're one of the daughters of Machor, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," she said, dropping her head a little with embarrassment at the association with her past. A past she was happy to leave long behind her.

"Well, you said that once one sister was dead then that was it so I only killed one," explained Connor, Wesley nodded and smiled down at Allie before returning to the reception. Connor turned back to Angel, "Dad, there's one more thing, I would really like to move back in. Both of us would,"

"Of course you can," smiled Angel. Nothing would make him happier than having his son living under his roof again, this was where he belonged, this was where all of them belonged.

"That's great. Look, can you keep Allie company? I need to talk to Cordy," whispered Connor, Angel glanced at Cordelia who was obviously trying her hardest to stay back from the excitement and nodded. Connor smiled and walked over to Cordelia, whispering something into her ear before disappearing into the kitchen. Everyone watched as Cordelia followed but Angel wasn't worried, he knew that it was all over but he also knew that Connor wouldn't want to discuss that in a room full of people, especially his new friend.

"So, Allie," smiled Gunn, throwing an axe through the air which she caught with both hands. "Can you use that?" Allie grinned; she was definitely going to like it here.

"So," said Cordelia, jumping up onto the kitchen table. "Is Allie your new girlfriend?"

"Not exactly. Why, are you jealous?"

"Not really, what did you want to talk to me about? Are you still mad at me?"

"No," said Connor, moving across the room and standing in front of her. "I did a lot of thinking while I was away and I realised how much this place means to me. I know how I don't act that way but I didn't get it before,"

"What do you mean?"

"Angel, you, Fred, Wes, you're all my family. I never really understood that before but I do now. I want to come back but I need to know that things aren't going to be weird between us,"

"Connor, things could never be weird between us. You're very special to me, never forget that," smiled Cordelia, stroking Connor's cheek.

"I know, you're special to me too. Did he say anything while I was away?"

"He forgave us both if that's what you mean," grinned Cordelia. "So, you gonna tell me what's really going on with you and Allie?"

"Cordy, Cordy, Cordy… still the gossip queen," he laughed and ran out of the kitchen and into the main reception where Allie was in full battle mode with Gunn while everyone sat around and watched as he shouted out instructions. He had only been back five minutes and it was already back to normal, it felt as if he had never been away. He guessed that was what it meant to be 'home'.

THE END


End file.
